May 4, 2010 Discussion Notes
New York was the center of many of the epedemics used in his Maxwell's examples, for example Hush Puppies and syphilis epedemics. This could be due to the large population and the large city enviroment, which can have several different enviroment's within it.
The factors can be affected by each other. The enviroment in which an epedemic spreads, can also affect the people who live there. For example, the slums of a city may cause people to be more involved in crime. However, some of the connections may be vague or small, such as the situation described in the syphilis epedemic.
Some factors may be more important than others. Enviroment is one of the most important. A stable enviroment allows for the type of people who may have a positive type of tipping point, while the slums of a city may increase the chance of a tipping point for crime rates rising.
Small events may also be in play in these tipping points Small events, like the title says, can have large effects as well. Small events can be the factor that changes in enviroment, people, and the epedemic itself. However, this is largely dependant on the situation itself, in which one small even may be more effective in creating a tipping point than ontther small event. For example, with new york crime rates, police advancements, had little effect on the crime rates. However, those who were caught decided to stop doing crime. Over time, it reduced the amount of criminals, since those who were caught, stopped doing crime. However, the crack trade declining and the econmy rising might have creating better enviroments, than the new policing strategies. Overall, Maxwell's theories may have greater effects than these, but these are still contributors to the entire situation.
The enviroment change can sometimes show the amzing power of small changes. For example, when it is raining at 34 degrees, but snowing at 32 degrees. Also, in the syphilis epedemic, those who could cause the problem, those few people, were trapped in an enviroment where they could not spread as well. However, when they moved to Central Baltimore, where those barriers were not established, they were able to spread more effectively. They all had the ability, but the enviroment kept them on check, until a new enviroment was established.
Companies can also change the stickiness factor. When they create a slogan, they are creating something that can stick in poeple's heads. They are raising the stickiness effect of their product. People can change the stickiness factor of something.

Law of the Few: The Tipping Point is affected by the abilities of small groups of people. e.g. The teen pregnancy increase, the spread of gonorrhea by a few individuals, hush Puppies being worn by a few people.
Stickiness Factor: The effect of how long the epedemic will stay with the society. e.g. Slogans of winston cigarettes, no people to cure syphilis, nicotine and drugs.
Power of Context: The effect of the situation and the envrioment on the people and the epedemic. e.g. The spread of Gonorhea and Syphilis in New York.



5/5/10
The amount of people you know might be dependent on what job you have. If you are older and have had your job for awhile you probably have many friends. Also depending on income you might have a larger circle of friends. Being an only child you might be inclined to make more friends, but if you have a large family you are able to connect with more people through your parents friends and your siblings friends. A connector is a person who is very social and has a "natural charm" regardless of who you are and where you come from. 6 degrees of separation is a network of people who are connected through other people. MIligram tested obedience through electricuting people, when they asked "do I have to do this?" he would say "yes" and they would do it because he told them too. By the right person going and telling people that the British were coming, because of that he was able to get the entire militia ready and was able to push back the British.

Discussion:
à Having lots of different worlds can connect with more people when doing different jobs.
Maven
Ø Important thing they are society motivated to helo others. They want to kno lots of information and take more advice from a others.
Ø Wants to solve other people problems and they have to help other people and by helping others
Ø Paul revere was a maven and british because he was a spy but also a connector because he was a knew lots of people and he knew so much knowledge about the british
1) 1) How did Rod Steiger connect to history in the past and the present in his career’s or career of acting? How did it make an impact in society?
2) Why do you think that Malcolm Gladwell thinks that Rod Steiger is the best connector he is ever acting world.
a. He seems to know everything
3) How does having experience in many different jobs make you a good connector?
4) How do connectors find ways to get decent jobs and how does the “weak tie” take effect in this idea. Do you think that the weak ties are stronger and better than the having strong ties?
a. Weak ties are stronger than strong ties. When your get to know more acquantinces
5) Do you think that if you are close to a connector that you will be as smart and wealthy as them?
6) Do you think that having a high paying job will affect how a person can become a maven?

à Doesn’t really need to b because if they just want to help others and give advice forms others.
7) What is the different between a real maven and a person who works in the market place
8) Do you think that a connector has the same thoughts and knowledge as a maven does or vis versa?
a. No they both are different because connectors only know how to talk to people about the ideas mavens are gioing to them while the maven has knowledge and understanding
9) What sets mavens apart from other people?
a. They have more knowledge than what most people have.
10) How do you think they get attention of other people? Do you think that mavens have a different way of getting attention than connectors do?
a. Mavens are always to convince people, mavens know everything. Mavens recommended going someplace to go and the author was happy about it he told other people and then a maven tell someone and then that person tells it to someone else.

11) What Is the difference from spreading news to someone rather than do it the ways connectors do? Word of mouth epidemic?
a. Connectors can speak to and socialize with people and tell them information but they don’t have knowledge that most people will take their advice for while a maven does and most people will listen to them. They use the word of mouth epidemic because they were using their mouth to tell people.
12) What Quality’s do you think makes a good connector? (after talking about this)
a. Connector: social, understand, and fit with other people and connect and relate to whole bunch of different people. Relate to these people and understand with them. They are like quantity not really quality.
b. Maven: Don’t need to have a large amount of friends, they don’t need to share a whole bunch of people and talk to connectors who will talk to other people. Relates to today mavens talk to other and then connectors talk to other people about an certain idea. People who are able to advice thing to large groups of people and have quality. When the connector talks to a maven and discuss about something they talk to the connector will spread it around.


May 10, 2010
Salesman have lots of energy and enthusiasm. They are able to spread this happiness to people. However, sadness can spread as well. As poeple talk, they get into a rythm. People will also spread their gestures, so emotion may spread through these. Thus, emotions can stick to people through salesmen.
Historical figures very often have the abilities of one of these special types of people. For example, Abraham Lincoln could be a connector or salesman. As president, Abraham Lincoln would know several people, and would be able to communicate messages to them. He might also be a salesman, for as President, he tried to make people pick a side, the North or the South.
Bill Gates, a very rich person, might be considered all 3 people. However, some of these might only be a result of his success. For example, he may only know several different groups of poeple because of his riches and fame. He might only know lots of information due to his building of software. He might be able to sell people his goods only because of his amazing resources available to him.
Can someone be all three types? Paul Revere was a Maven and Connector, but his message was probably spread better due to its stickiness than Paul Revere being a salesman. It may be possible, but it would be extremely rare. Then again, it may be impossible, as some characteristics may conflict with eachother. For example, someone who has a natural need to help people, might not be content to only from weak ties.
Some events are incredibly sticky. For example, 9/11 is an event that several amaericans can remember. Simple things can stick as well. Someone might find themselves humming to a song. Also, Sesame street, the example given in the book, might have given knowledge to people which have stuck.
Stickiness is a factor of incentiveness, so that the person wants to see it. People would want to find the golden box, they would want to watch the muppets. If it sticks to you, it may stick to other people, as you might spread it. For example, if you yawn, or say yawn, someone may yawn. As I discussed yawning, Joe yawned. If you're humming something, someone may start humming the song too, if you know it.
For something to be sticky enough to create a Tipping Point, it has to be able to stick long enough to pass it on to other people. Sesame street has the ability to stick long enough in order to allow children to start learning from school.

May 12, 2010
The overall consensus in our group is that Blues Clue's is more effective. Sesame street has adult-aimed content which kids don't understand, and is made of several short commercial like skits. Kids might focus on the fun characters, rather than the lesson learned. Blues Clues sticks to people more, by providing a story and a narrative, which allows kids to learn better. Shows such as Blues Clues can effect kids quite powerfully, as shown by the Temporal narratives, that kids would outline their perfect message.
The James Earl Jones theory shows that repetition is effective. For example, Blues Clues aired the same episode 5 times a week, which the kids loved. Also effective, the Head On commercial, "Head On, apply directly to the forhead", where the message is repeated over and over again. This can be very sticky.
In history, some sticky messages may be war propaganda, as they use several different techniques to stick to people.
Overall, this chapter has outlined how people respond to messages, and how they stick. If people have incentive to watch, they will watch. This is shown by the golden box idea, and shows that enetertain kids, like Blues Clues.
The next chapter starts with Bernhard Goetz. He is defined by the book, at first as a hero, but not as much later. He shot 4 black men who were trying to rob him, and he was considered a vigilante. However, he is shown later to be a a very violent person with internal problem. This shines a bad light on Goetz.
The Broken Window theory is the theory that small events have the largest effects. The graffiti on the wall caused an increase in crime, as people felt that crime was ok. when this grafitti was removed, crime started lowering.
This chapter is very core to the idea of the essential question. It outlines the fact that the smallest of changes can cause the largest of effects. by removing graffiti from the wall, the crime rate can suddently decrease dramatically.
The envrioment can also have an effect on the poeple. For example, someone living near a subway station would be able to meet a variety of people from a variety of worlds. Their enviroment would be able to make them more like a connector.
In our own enviroment, the spotsylvania mall has been redone. By making it look better, it could effect the poeple who shop or hang out there often.

May 13, 2010
People generally try to fit in with toher. when other try to do something, people try follow them, lest they not fit in. An example where this may have taken place was during the Holocaust. While some germans might not have been bad, they might be trying to survive and do what the others do, and kill the Jews.
Malcolm also states that Criminals are affected more by their enviroment rather than their internal problems. However, it seems to be a little of both. People may start to be bad, but its the neighborhood and enviroment that truly affect whether people grow up into criminals. A good neighborhood can be more important than a good family though. the family creates the foundation, but the neighborhood shapes who they are.
People mostly notice the people before them. They may notice how people bahave different around other people. However, people usually only concern themselves with the people they are when they are with the person. This is natural human tendency to clump people's personalities together, and not think that they are different personalities around different people.
The importance of the situation has a large impact on how a peron behaves, and when we look back, we can decide to take advantage on this by determinging what situations people can cannot handle, and acting accordingly. For example, the ordinary person cannot be placed within a prison without cracking, and some people may work best under certain situations.

May 14th, 2010.
Generally people usually have a group of friends that is around 150 people. This is due to the the Neo-Cortex, which is in the brain. Scientists have studied this part of the brain and have concluded that the size of the Neo- Cortex is proportional to the size of a group a person can have. This is called the 150 Rule.
Discussion Questions and Answers:

Question:Do you think our High School is like the Gore offices in terms of the 150 Rule?

Answer:
Yes. Our high school has a relatively low population, and thus we all know each other very well. We know who to go to for advice or help on various subjects, creating a healthy work environment.
Question:Is your family separated to where one person is an expert in one subject?
Answer:
Jon- goes to father for help with electronics.
Joe- parents go to me for help with electronics.
Erika- here to today but decided not to show up for class... and didn't send Jon her Homework assignment.


Question: Do you have someone in this school (besides a teacher) that you can go for help in a certain subject?
Answer:
Jon- if Jon needed help with English he would go to Joe for help.
Joe- If Joe needed help with Math, and Chemistry he would got to either Devin or Jon.
Erika: not here.Even though she is in school.


Question:
Do you think that the reason the book Ya- Ya Sisterhood became a bestseller was due to Rebbecca Wells being a connector/ Saleswoman or because of the Rule of 150?
Answer:
we believe that the rule of 150 is the cause, as we believe that her first book would have sold better if it was just because she was a connector or saleswoman.

Question: Do you agree with the theory that people can only work well with around 150 people?
Answer:
Yes. Over time, groups of 150 have naturally formed. This is shown in military divisions and hunter-gatherer group sizes.
Will do better notes in future. We just a computer problems(every time we tried to take notes computer would shut down for some reason) plus one of our group members didn't show up for class.

Notes for Tuesday, May 18th, 2010: Joe.
Last nights reading was about how




Discussion Directors questions:
Question:Were you ever influenced by a trend?
Answer:

North face, certain people started to wear this jacket brand and then other people started to notice and they started to wear this jacket brand because they wanted to be cool like the other people.
Question: Do you know people who are Innovators?
Answer:

Moves. The people who go to see the movie as soon as it comes out in theaters. (lots people)
Question:Can you think of any product that has had an incline in popularity, like Airwalks did?

any electronics.
Question:Do you think that Airwalks, Suicide rates, and Smoking increase are related, in terms of the way they spread? If so how?
Answer:
yes, Suicide and smoking are related because it causes other people to do the same thing because of the same reasons. Suicide and smoking weren't related to the Airwalk epidemic.

Question:Do you agree with Gladwell's theory that people will commit suicide if others did?
Yes, they do, not purposely do it, but are subconsciously given the permission to do something that will hurt them.

What the Researcher/ Connector worked on: Jon
Jon researched Airwalk, and innovators.
Airwalk: founded in 1986, sponsored famous people. 1990 Airwalks went main stream. 2004, collective licensing international bought the company. Lately they have decided to reproduce their most original brands.
Crossing the Chasm: written in 1991, talks about Innovators. Chasms= chasm between the early adopters and mainstream. Talks about capturing the innovators and early adopters so that the information can go to the early majority for.


Passage master: Erika
Page 194: persuasion is a big factor in how people buy certain products.
Page 204: Needles trade ins- the demand for the needles was higher than the supply.


Discussion Notes:
1) Do you think that contagiousness and the stickness

à The person can be contagious (salesman’s) want to sell cause there happy and upbeat. Stickiness is more desicibed in the message. They follow a different pattern.
2) Give some examples of a product/ idea that is contagious and sticks?
à Ipods- one person can have it and then it spread then the stickiness comes in because the ipod there are many applications that makes the situation sticky.
à Music- somebody might be listening to a song that is attracting other people
à Yawning- one person yawns another person yawns
3) How are chippers different from hard core smokers?

à The main thing Is that if the person has an okay buzz then they would be chippers. Also the genes play a different factor because some people can enjoy smoking but can’t have a lot of nicotine. While some people can smoke and handle lots of nicotine. People with depression people smoke because they want to overcome emotion and it calms down the depression.
Nicotioneà acts like a
4) How does genetic have an impact on a person rather than just voluntarily consuming and with experience with cigarettes?
5) Do you think that salesman (cool) shouldn’t stop persuading/ selling cigarettes will that help decrease the amount of people who smoke?
à If they stop smoking the whole other people will. Though it is nearly impossible because theyt will not smoke because they smoke because they are cool and they won’t stop cause its so addicting. Peers are looking towards them and not to others.
6) How does the lifestyle / childhood effect or impact the decisions a person makes?
à Child your setting up a foundation who you are and environmental influences can have a big impact on people.
7) How does the social environment impact how children’s personality is and how does it impact them in later life?
8) Do you agree with the heredity effect a child who lives with their adopted parents on the way they act and how they make their decisions or is it more the environment around them?
à yes Natures favor and the kids are more similar towards more biological but mostly the environmental influences is a big factor in how child act.
9) How does social communication a impact on people?

è Social communication is more valuable to people now because they use lot of technology and they happen to ammine to it. This social communication can have a big factor in society because many people can spread ideas, though it’s harder to find mavens because since the technology is rising more people are just finding things online and not really paying attention to other books.
10 ) How does emotions impact/ effect the decisions on people or how does your action impact other people and even yourself?
1) Do you think that advertisement/ programs for people who smoke and want to quit really help those who are addicted to smoking?
a. Telling people about the dangers are just going to make them do more cigars and they are just so addicted that they can’t stop and don’t care about rehab or anything else.
2) Do you know any other ways to treat depression and the smoking habits of others are there ways that people can prevent smoking habits? Give some examples.
a. Stop the habit earlier because they won’t get addicted later on in life. Even though you smoke one you won’t get addicted right away it takes time to be addicted. Everyone starts out chipper but you can prevent them to smoke more.
3) Do you think that depression pills still work in today’s society?
a. Lacking transmitters and they have to smoke but using Zyban and the people are taking away the stickiness factor of the smoking because the pill is helping the neuron transmitters inside the brain and providing what it needs in replacement of smoking. Also limiting the amount can affect a person because it will cause a decrease of health problems.
4) Do you agree with the fact that smoking is like a common cold and people can get over it easily?
a. It is Possible to lose the addiction because you’re a chipper though when you are more addicted then it’s harder to lose the habit.
5) What have you learn?
a. Ideas can change and the fact that little things can make a difference. Also pay attention to a person decision to see why a person has made a certain decisions. The book is trued and that mavens, connectors and salesman can make a huge difference.
6) How does the Reaction isolation a big factor?
This doesn’t occur in the world. Though all these technology they can spread throughout the world. Also because of one incident there is an increase of shootings throughout the world.